Teachers target Hobbs on school hiring bill

As a controversial bill giving principals greater power to hire and fire teachers creeps along in Olympia, the statewide teacher’s union is targeting a few of its supporters in hopes of changing their minds.

This Friday the House Education Committee plans to hold a hearing on Senate Bill 5242 which would give school administrators a stronger voice in assigning teachers, counselors, nurses, and school psychologists.

The WEA, in a press release, asserts the bill “tramples local decision making and forces every school district to follow the same staffing policy” and “has nothing to do with increasing K-12 funding or reducing class sizes, which is what our students really need.”

“We need to let Sen. Hobbs’ constituents know that he is failing to fulfill the state’s paramount duty to our kids — fully funding K-12 education,” said Kelly Snow, president of the Lake Steven Education Association.